| Title: | Frog nuptial pads secrete mating season-specific proteins related to salamander pheromones |
| Author(s): | Willaert B; Bossuyt F; Janssenswillen S; Adriaens D; Baggerman G; Matthijs S; Pauwels E; Proost P; Raepsaet A; Schoofs L; Stegen G; Treer D; Van Hoorebeke L; Vandebergh W; Van Bocxlaer I; |
| Address: | "Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Biology Department, Amphibian Evolution Lab, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1477-9145 (Electronic) 0022-0949 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Males of many frog species develop spiny nuptial pads with underlying glands on their thumbs during the mating period. We used 3D visualization on the European common frog Rana temporaria to show that the morphology of these glands allows the channelling of secreted molecules to the pad's surface during amplexus. Combined transcriptome and proteome analyses show that proteins of the Ly-6/uPAR family, here termed amplexins, are highly expressed in the nuptial glands during the mating season, but are totally absent outside that period. The function of amplexins remains unknown, but it is interesting to note that they share structural similarities with plethodontid modulating factors, proteins that influence courtship duration in salamanders" |
| Keywords: | "*Animal Communication Animals Anura/metabolism/*physiology Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid Forelimb/*metabolism Gene Library Histological Techniques Mass Spectrometry Polymerase Chain Reaction Sex Attractants/genetics/*metabolism *Sex Characteristics;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineWillaert, Bert Bossuyt, Franky Janssenswillen, Sunita Adriaens, Dominique Baggerman, Geert Matthijs, Severine Pauwels, Elin Proost, Paul Raepsaet, Arent Schoofs, Liliane Stegen, Gwij Treer, Dag Van Hoorebeke, Luc Vandebergh, Wim Van Bocxlaer, Ines eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2013/08/21 J Exp Biol. 2013 Nov 15; 216(Pt 22):4139-43. doi: 10.1242/jeb.086363. Epub 2013 Aug 15" |
